Impact of QCD Corrections on the Search for the Intermediate Mass Higgs Boson
Bob Bailey, Dirk Graudenz
TL;DR
Problem: evaluating the potential to discover an intermediate-mass Higgs at hadron colliders where H→γγ is a key channel but backgrounds are large. Approach: implement next-to-leading-log Monte Carlo calculations for both Higgs production and diphoton background, including realistic photon isolation and experimental cuts at SSC (40 TeV) and LHC (14 TeV). Key results: K-factors show that QCD corrections can enhance signal significance, reducing the required discovery time by up to ~1.8 at the LHC and ~1.4 at the SSC, with dependence on m_H and cuts. Implication: precise QCD predictions for the diphoton final state are essential for robust Higgs searches in the intermediate-mass window.
Abstract
Using next-to-leading-log calculations of Higgs production and hadronic two photon production, a signal and background study in the intermediate mass range of the Higgs boson is done for $\sqrt{s}=$ 40 and 14 TeV. The effects of realistic cuts, including photon isolation, are examined.